


The Star

by expose_ambrose



Category: Original Work, Reinette’s World
Genre: Child Cancer, Children, Crying, Gen, Hospitals, Hurt/Comfort, Original Character Death(s), Original Character(s), Sad, Sad with a Happy Ending, Sickfic, Story Continuation
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-12-20
Updated: 2018-12-20
Packaged: 2019-09-23 05:39:42
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 7,551
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17074418
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/expose_ambrose/pseuds/expose_ambrose
Summary: When seven-year-old Mika Helder walks into the wrong room while exploring a hospital, he ends up meeting someone who changes his life forever.





	The Star

**Author's Note:**

> This is my first story on ao3, sorry if it’s bad...

The doctor looked over his forms once more before turning to the two of them with a reassuring smile. "Well, Mr. Helder, it looks like Mika here will be just fine."

Mika, on the other hand, wasn't about to let his father off the hook that easily. Sticking his tongue out at the other, he piped, "See, Neddie? I told you it wasn't serious!"

The blond scowled. "You were crying and wouldn't walk! What else was I supposed to do?"

"You didn't have to take me to a hospital!"

"Oh, be quiet, you! Thank you very much, doctor."

The man in the lab coat shook his head. "You're very welcome. If you'd like, I can write you something up to help heal those scratches faster, it'll also lessen the itching when they scab over."

Mika’s father perked up. "That'd be wonderful. Mika has this horrible habit of scratching his scabs anyways. I always tell him to stop but he never listens."

Huffing, the child frowned. "I can't help it if they're itchy!"

The doctor smiled. "Well, this will make it less itchy, okay? Mr. Helder, if you'd come with me for a moment? We just need you to fill out a release form if you wouldn't mind."

"Of course not. Mika, you stay put, okay? Don't even think about going anywhere."

The boy waved offhandedly at the two adults as they left and scoffed. "I'm not thinking about leaving this room, I'm thinking about exploring! They're two completely different things! Besides, as long as I get back here before they do, Neddie will never even notice I left!" Then, with a triumphant grin, he raced out of the room.

ʕ•̫͡•ʕ•̫͡•ʔ•̫͡•ʔ•̫͡•ʕ•̫͡•ʔ•̫͡•ʕ•̫͡•ʕ•̫͡•ʔ•̫͡•ʔ•̫͡•ʕ•̫͡•ʔ•̫͡•ʔ

After doing what he'd thought was a lap around the main floor of the hospital, Mika ducked back into his room only to find that he'd gotten the wrong room. Suddenly, a tiny voice interrupted his thoughts, "Father?"

He gave a start. "Who's there?" It took a moment of looking around to realize that on the bed, sat a rather frail looking boy a few years younger than him who had a book in one hand and a stuffed sheep in the other. Mika merely stared at him with a confused expression on his face. He smiled ruefully. "Oh! Sorry, I didn't see you there! Who are you?"

The boy looked surprised at the sudden question. "S-sorry! I'm Hunapo, and this is my sheep..." his brows furled for a moment, "I forgot his name again. W-what about you?"

"I'm Mika! I'm seven years old and I live with my dad, Neddie!" he replied happily. "So what are you doing here? Is your dad out talking to a doctor too?"

"Father?" Hunapo shook his head. "I think he's outside talking to the nurses. He really likes talking to them and the nurses seem to really like him too."

"Oh, my dad's talking to the doctor right now. I fell earlier and he made me come here. Look," he lifted his leg to show off all the band-aids that'd been stuck on, "I got all of these from that fall, but I didn't cry! I told Neddie it wasn't serious, but he made me come anyways!"

The other boy seemed impressed by his leg. "T-that looks really painful. Does it still hurt?"

Mika looked down at his leg in thought. "Yeah, it does a little." He blinked when the boy motioned for him to draw closer. He walked over. "Yes?"

The brunette leaned over and gave him a kiss on the cheek. "Makutu!"

Immediately raising a hand to cover the place where he'd just been kissed, Mika blinked in bewilderment. "What was that for?"

"S-sorry," was the instant response, "that's what Father does for me when I fall."

"…will kisses make it heal faster?"

Hunapo shook his head. "I don't know, but it makes it hurt less."

Mika frowned for a moment, but then realized that he'd been too preoccupied by the action to notice his pain. "Hey, you're right! It stopped hurting for awhile, thanks, Huna! Wait till I tell Neddie about this!"

"W-where's your Father now?"

There was a long pause. Then Mika remembered his situation, and his eyes began tearing up. "Oh no! Neddie's probably figured out that I left by now! I don't even know how to get back! W-what should I do, Huna? He's going to get super mad at me! I'm already grounded! I don't want to get grounded again! I'll be double grounded and I'll never get to leave the house again!"

The smaller boy looked around frantically for an answer. "U-um, Father should be back soon! He can help you find your father, so please wait! Um…l-look up!"

The lights went out.

Confused, Mika tilted his head back and looked up. "Whoa!"

The ceiling and the walls were covered in glowing stars, each of them seemed to twinkle and shine as though they were real. And the room was dark enough that he couldn't tell where one wall stopped and another began. With his troubles completely forgotten, Mika shuffled onto the bed to sit next to the other boy.

"This is awesome! Did you do all this, Huna? There weren't any stars in the room I was in."

The brunette shook his head, clearly pleased at the reaction he received. "No, Father did it for me last week. Doesn't it look like heaven? Father said that Mother’s somewhere there. She went up and now she's exploring all the stars and meeting all the people there. Just like in the Little Prince, maybe Mother’s already met him, his sheep, and his rose with four thorns."

Blue eyes blinked,never once leaving the ceiling. He'd never heard of anyone staying in a hospital for over a day before. "The what prince? Sheep? Rose with four thorns? Is it a story? I haven't heard of it before. Wait, your dad did this last week? You've been here for a whole week now! What happened? Did you break a bone or something? I didn't see a cast though…"

"I'm waiting to go to heaven," Hunapo answered easily.

Mika stared in surprise. He never thought that heaven was something to be spoken so lightly of. The younger boy didn't seem too concerned with the idea at all. For a moment, he thought he'd heard the other wrong. "What?"

"Heaven."

Then the door opened and a man's voice spoke out, "Hunapo? Tamaiti, were you sleeping? Why are the lights off?"

"Oh,Father!" The lights came back on. "Sorry, I was showing Mika the heaven you made for me."

At the door stood a tall, young man with a dark five o’clock shadow and deep green eyes. "Mika…? Oh, I didn't know you had a friend over!" He smiled. "Kia ora, I'm Tama, Hunapo’s father."

Mika sat up sheepishly. "Hi, I'm Mika. Um…I wasn't supposed to leave the room I was in, but I did, and I can't find my dad now. Huna said you could help me…please."

Hunapo stared at the man imploringly. "Can you, Father? Please?"

Upon looking at the two, the Polynesian grinned. "Of course I can! You know I'd do anything for you, toku aroha. Mika, would you like to go find your father now?"

"Yes, sir." He leaned in and whispered into the other boy's ear, "I'll come play with you again soon, so don't go to heaven yet, okay?"

With his eyes widened in surprised delight, the brunette nodded happily. "Okay!"

Hopping off the bed, he smiled and waved at the boy. "Thanks for showing me the heaven your father made, Huna! And thanks for the kiss! Look, Huna's papa! I got all these from my fall! Huna kissed it better! So now, I'm going to go tell Neddie all about it!"

"Really? I'm glad Hunapo remembered to kiss it better. It's something I learnt from my father, back when I was little."

Waving goodbye one more time, he followed the man out the door. "From your father? So from Huna's granddad? Is it a family secret? Maybe I shouldn't tell Neddie then…"

The man laughed. "No, go ahead and tell your father, or how else he won't know that he's supposed to kiss it better the next time you fall? It's something that was made to be shared."

ʕ•̫͡•ʕ•̫͡•ʔ•̫͡•ʔ•̫͡•ʕ•̫͡•ʔ•̫͡•ʕ•̫͡•ʕ•̫͡•ʔ•̫͡•ʔ•̫͡•ʕ•̫͡•ʔ•̫͡•ʔ

It didn't take very long for the two of them to locate Mika’s frantically anxious father. He perked up as the panicking man came into view. "Neddie!"

The man whirled around and ran up to them, face flushed from his search. "Mika! Where'd you go? I told you to stay put! Honestly, will you never listen to me? Are you okay? You didn't take another tumble or anything, did you? You didn't go around and cause any trouble, did you?" He looked up at Tama. "I'm sorry about my son! I'm Edward Helder, thank you for finding him!"

The other man smiled easily. "I'm Tama Davies. It was no problem, tangata. I didn't find Mika. He actually found my son and kept him company while I was out of the room. So thank you, Mika, but next time, maybe you should wait for your father's permission, yes?"

"I'll keep that in mind next time! Can I come play with Huna again, please?"

Tama nodded. "I'm sure that'd make Hunapo very happy, but only if your father says it's alright."

He turned to his father. "Please, Neddie! Can I please come and play with Hunapo again? I promise you'll know where I am at all times! Please!"

Edward crossed his arms and sighed, "I don't see why not… You'll have to promise to behave though, or I won't bring you here, okay? Now, let's go home for dinner. Thanks again."

ʕ•̫͡•ʕ•̫͡•ʔ•̫͡•ʔ•̫͡•ʕ•̫͡•ʔ•̫͡•ʕ•̫͡•ʕ•̫͡•ʔ•̫͡•ʔ•̫͡•ʕ•̫͡•ʔ•̫͡•ʔ

The Polynesian waved as they left before turning around and heading back to his son's room. Opening the door, he stepped into the room. The boy set his book down and smiled at him "D-did you find Mika's father?"

"Of course, would your father come back if he didn't do as he promised?"

The boy shook his head, "No. I’m sorry Father."

Tama leaned down and placed a kiss on his son's head. "He pai."

ʕ•̫͡•ʕ•̫͡•ʔ•̫͡•ʔ•̫͡•ʕ•̫͡•ʔ•̫͡•ʕ•̫͡•ʕ•̫͡•ʔ•̫͡•ʔ•̫͡•ʕ•̫͡•ʔ•̫͡•ʔ

In the car, Edward glanced up at his rearview mirror, over at the smiling child who was sitting silently and kicking his feet idly. "You seem to be in an awful good mood now that you've made a new friend. It's like your scratches and bruises don't even hurt anymore."

Mika grinned. "They don't! Huna kissed it all better! Did you know about this, Neddie? I guess you didn't or you would've done it instead of taking me to the hospital! But that's okay! The next time I get hurt, you'll have to kiss it better, okay?"

"What an…odd thing to do," his father muttered quietly to himself. He wanted to add that he knew about kissing wounds better but he had simply always been too embarrassed to do it, but decided against it after a moment of thought. "So? What else did you two talk about while you were there?"

The boy sat up excitedly. "He told me about a book! It was about a prince I think, and a sheep, a rose and stars! Do you know which book he was talking about?"

"It sounds familiar. Are you talking about The Little Prince?"

A shrug. "I guess! Can we read that book next?"

Edward raised a brow at his enthusiasm. "What? You actually want to read a book? What kind of boy is this Hunapo lad? I don't remember you ever being so excited about making a friend before. You're always complaining about Jay-Jay and Eugene, and that Mexican kid."

"You can't compare him to all the kids at school! Huna's special," he insisted as they turned into their driveway.

Turning the engine off, he turned to glance at his son who was taking his seatbelt off in the backseat. "Oh? He's special? How so? Other than the fact that he's Maori, I mean. Did he have a cast that he let you sign or something?"

"Nope, he's going to heaven soon," Mika spoke as nonchalantly as the boy at the hospital had as he opened the car door and got out.

ʕ•̫͡•ʕ•̫͡•ʔ•̫͡•ʔ•̫͡•ʕ•̫͡•ʔ•̫͡•ʕ•̫͡•ʕ•̫͡•ʔ•̫͡•ʔ•̫͡•ʕ•̫͡•ʔ•̫͡•ʔ

On their fourth play date, Mika mad a happy announcement as they played in the hospital's playroom under the supervision of a pair of nurses. "Huna! Me and Neddie finally finished The Little Prince! All 27 chapters!"

Hunapo smiled. "R-really? Did you like it?"

Mika nodded. "At first, I felt bad for the rose for being left behind, but then the prince goes back, doesn't he? After that, I felt bad for the guy he left on earth, but at least he has all the stars to make him laugh again." Staring at the toy rocket in his hands, he flew it upwards and glanced over at the nurses to make sure they were busy elsewhere. "Hey, Huna?"

Hazel eyes looked over at him and asked, "Yes?"

"Are you scared?"

"Of what?"

Still concentrating on his toy, Mika guided the rocket through the air in waves. "Of going to heaven."

Hunapo stopped playing and watched him. "Um…a little. B-but it's okay! Father said that Mother will be waiting for me, and I've got Hi…Hifi the sheep? He'll keep me safe."

Mika blinked in wonder as he landed his rocket. "Really? So is he like your guardian angel?"

"I guess you could say that…"

Mika smiled. "Are you excited about seeing your mum? You've met her before, right? I never met mine, but that's okay since I have Neddie and he's all I need."

The other boy nodded slowly. "I remember Mother. I really miss her, but…I'm going to miss Father as well. I don't want to leave Father behind, or you."

The quiver in his friend's voice made Mika stop to think. Suddenly, an idea popped into his head. He perked up and shot the other a toothy grin. "Huna, I know what we can do! I've heard before that you can buy a star! I'll save up and buy you your own star! It'll be my present to you so you won't forget about me while you're exploring with your mum and your sheep! And! And you can wait for me and your dad there since we'll know where to find you! And this way, your Father won't get lonely! He'll always know you're up in the sky, safe and waiting with your mum!"

Hunapo's eyes shone. "R-really, Mik? You'd buy a star for me? That'll probably cost you a billion dollars!"

"I don't think it'll cost a billion dollars. But I'll buy one for you, I promise! It…it'll be your Christmas present! Then when I go to heaven, I'll come find you and we'll play together again, okay? And you can tell me all about your adventures!"

"O-okay!" The younger boy hugged him tightly. "Thank you, Mik!"

He laughed. "You're welcome!"

Then Tama stepped in with a plate of treats, having just come in from work. "I'm sorry I'm so late, toku aroha! They absolutely needed me at the restaurant today! I brought you your favourite though-oh, Mika! You came to play with Hunapo? That's a relief, I thought my poor Hunapo was all by himself!" He set the plate down. "Here, you two can share these. I'll be right back, aku tamariki. I just need to go put my things down."

Mika happily popped a treat into his mouth, his eyes widening. "Wow! Huna, these are really good!"

The other boy nodded. "That's because Father's a chef! He has his own restaurant! Everybody loves Father's food! Hey Mik, what are you going to do when you grow up?"

Mika stood up proudly. "Me? I'm going to be a hero and revive dinosaurs!"

Taking a bite of a treat, the brunette stared at him in awe. "Really? Dinosaurs? You're so brave!"

This caused him to blink. "Brave? What do you mean? You need to be brave to revive dinosaurs? Why?"

Hunapo dipped his head seriously. "There was a movie on in sitting room once about dinosaurs in a really big park. They went around and ate all the people!"

"W-what?" He gulped. "I haven't seen that movie before. Maybe I can get Neddie to rent it…"

Then the Polynesian returned. "What are you two talking about?"

"Father, what was that scary movie with the dinosaurs called?"

"Jurassic Park?"

Hunapo smiled. "Yes, Jurassic Park! Did you know, Father? Mik wants to revive dinosaurs!"

Munching on another treat slowly, he gave a weak laugh. "Maybe I'll revive something else; something less scary. …maybe I'll just be a hero."

ʕ•̫͡•ʕ•̫͡•ʔ•̫͡•ʔ•̫͡•ʕ•̫͡•ʔ•̫͡•ʕ•̫͡•ʕ•̫͡•ʔ•̫͡•ʔ•̫͡•ʕ•̫͡•ʔ•̫͡•ʔ

That evening, Mika pushed his father aside as he was about to start on the dishes. "Neddie! I'll do them!"

The man stared at him incredulously. "What? You want to do the dishes? Did you hit your head or something at the hospital today?"

He shook his head. "Nope! But if I do more chores, you'll give me more allowance, right?"

Edward nodded. "Yes, that'd be logical. But why do you need more money? Is there something you want? You know, Christmas is coming in two months, you can just wait and ask Santa for whatever it is, can't you?"

"Nope! It has to be bought by me! It's because I promised to buy Huna his very own star for when he goes to heaven," he informed his father happily. "I don't know how much it costs though…"

Wiping his hands on a dishcloth, the man smiled. "That sounds like a very thoughtful gift for the lad. You know what? How about this? While you do the dishes, I'll look it up for you, okay?"

"Okay! Thanks Neddie! Oh, and have you heard of Jurassic Park?"

Edward raised a brow. "The movie? I believe we have it somewhere, actually."

Mika hesitated for a moment. "Oh, um…can we watch it?"

The blond shrugged and left the room. "It's still pretty early so I don't see why not. I'll go find it after I look up how much your star will cost."

Later that night, while hiding under his father's covers, Mika decided that he didn't want to revive dinosaurs anymore.

ʕ•̫͡•ʕ•̫͡•ʔ•̫͡•ʔ•̫͡•ʕ•̫͡•ʔ•̫͡•ʕ•̫͡•ʕ•̫͡•ʔ•̫͡•ʔ•̫͡•ʕ•̫͡•ʔ•̫͡•ʔ 

It turned out that the star didn't cost anywhere near a billion dollars, which was a good thing since Mika couldn't imagine how many chores he'd have to do every day to earn that amount of money before Christmas. He emptied his piggybank into a shoebox which he kept under his bed to begin his star funds. And since Christmas was coming up in about two months' time, he swore off buying things for the sake of his mission.

ʕ•̫͡•ʕ•̫͡•ʔ•̫͡•ʔ•̫͡•ʕ•̫͡•ʔ•̫͡•ʕ•̫͡•ʕ•̫͡•ʔ•̫͡•ʔ•̫͡•ʕ•̫͡•ʔ•̫͡•ʔ 

True to his word, Mika did all his daily chores and more, and refrained from buying anything. Even his father had noticed his resolve and had commented on it. And during his frequent visits to Hunapo, he enjoyed bragging about the amount of money he'd been able to save, savouring the look of admiration on the other boy's face. But at the same time, he realized that the more time he spent with Hunapo, the less he wanted the boy to leave. Despite his thoughts, it was one of the few rare occasions when he decided against voice them out loud. After all, his friend had already confided in him that he was afraid of leaving, and to voice his own fears would only make it even worse for the brunette.

They'd stopped going to the playroom since the doctor felt it better for Hunapo to remain in a calm and controlled environment with doctors and nurses constantly nearby. During his visit that day, Mika blinked at how particularly quiet his friend was that day. Having taken on the role of Hunapo's hero, he asked, "Huna, are you okay?"

The smaller boy looked up in surprise and blinked. "M-me? Sorry, I'm okay." Then he dipped his head sullenly and stared at his feet. "But I don't know if Father is. Last night, we were reading the last part of the Little Prince, and when we got to the end, Father started crying. I asked him what was wrong and he said nothing. So I told him we didn't have to read it again if he didn't like it, but that only made things worse. Do you know what's wrong with Father, Mik?"

 

Mika frowned a little worriedly. "I'll ask Neddie later. Maybe he'll know, okay?"

Hunapo nodded. "Okay. Thank you. And Mik?"

"Yeah, Huna?"

"I think I'm scared. I don't want to go to heaven yet. W-what if you or Father get lonely?"

Mika pursed his lips for a moment, trying to think of something reassuring to say to the other. "We'll be fine, I promise! I'll make sure your father's okay! And maybe one day, I'll go all the way up into space to find you! As an astronaut! Okay? If I'm that much closer to your star, you'll be able to see me, right? And then you'll know that we're doing just fine and won't have to worry!"

The brunette smiled, forgetting his earlier problems. "Wow, Mik! You're going to become an astronaut?"

He laughed, liking the sound of his new dream already. "Sure, why not? I'll be a hero and travel all around the planets and meet the people living there! Then I'll tell you all about it when I see you again!"

ʕ•̫͡•ʕ•̫͡•ʔ•̫͡•ʔ•̫͡•ʕ•̫͡•ʔ•̫͡•ʕ•̫͡•ʕ•̫͡•ʔ•̫͡•ʔ•̫͡•ʕ•̫͡•ʔ•̫͡•ʔ

That evening, after Mika told his father what'd happened, he asked, "So do you know why Huna's Father was crying?"

Edward didn't look all too willing to answer as he breathed a sigh. "I suppose it's because he was sad."

Blue eyes blinked. "Sad? Really? But he always looks so happy! I thought you were going to say it was because he was Maori again."

His father knelt down and pulled him into an embrace. "If there's one thing I do know, it's that no matter where you're from, or what language you speak, or how Maori you are, losing a child's never easy. Hunapo’s father is very brave. I don't know what I'd do if I were to lose you…"

Not wanting to let on that he understood for a reason he couldn't explain, Mika patted his father on the back and smiled reassuringly. "Don't worry, Neddie! All you'd have to do is go to the security office. I'll be there waiting for you to pick me up!"

ʕ•̫͡•ʕ•̫͡•ʔ•̫͡•ʔ•̫͡•ʕ•̫͡•ʔ•̫͡•ʕ•̫͡•ʕ•̫͡•ʔ•̫͡•ʔ•̫͡•ʕ•̫͡•ʔ•̫͡•ʔ

Mika decided not to tell his friend the results of his findings.

"A tummy ache? But no one ever gets sick from Father's food."

"Maybe he was trying someone else's food?"

"O-oh! Maybe that's it!" Hunapo smiled in relief. "Thank you, Mik!"

He grinned. "Anytime! I'm your hero, aren't I?"

ʕ•̫͡•ʕ•̫͡•ʔ•̫͡•ʔ•̫͡•ʕ•̫͡•ʔ•̫͡•ʕ•̫͡•ʕ•̫͡•ʔ•̫͡•ʔ•̫͡•ʕ•̫͡•ʔ•̫͡•ʔ 

One day, a little under two weeks before Christmas, as he was walking home, Mika spotted a toy he'd been pining for on sale in one of the stores. Reaching into his pocket, he dug out a couple crumpled bills and coins that he'd collected and had forgotten to throw into his shoebox. He'd nearly collected enough money to buy his promised star and Christmas was still quite a ways away. Brows furled in contemplation, he looked from the money in his gloved hands to the toy on display, trying to reach a decision.

Minutes later, he left the store with a new toy in hand. To alleviate the guilt he felt, he told himself, "It's okay since I'll share it with Huna anyways! And I'll do extra chores tomorrow to make up for it!"

ʕ•̫͡•ʕ•̫͡•ʔ•̫͡•ʔ•̫͡•ʕ•̫͡•ʔ•̫͡•ʕ•̫͡•ʕ•̫͡•ʔ•̫͡•ʔ•̫͡•ʕ•̫͡•ʔ•̫͡•ʔ

It was a few days before Christmas and he'd convinced Edward to let him pay his friend an after-dinner visit. Mika jogged down the hall excitedly, eager to see his friend, while his father walked leisurely some ways behind. Upon reaching Hunapo's room, he stopped in front of the door in confusion. The lights had been turned off. He wondered if his friend had already gone to bed, but it was too early, even for Hunapo. By the time his father had caught up, he'd quietly poked his head through the doorway.

Inside the darkened room, underneath the carefully handmade heaven of shining stars and planets, sat Hunapo's father. Suddenly, it seemed like the entire hospital had gone silent save for the man lost in his grief. He was hunched over the side of the bed, and his back shook as he held back his sobs. All Mika could do was stand there and listen to the man cry his son's name over and over again.

Edward placed a hand gently on his shoulder and drew him away from the door and into a tight hug. "Oh, Mika…I'm so sorry…"

ʕ•̫͡•ʕ•̫͡•ʔ•̫͡•ʔ•̫͡•ʕ•̫͡•ʔ•̫͡•ʕ•̫͡•ʕ•̫͡•ʔ•̫͡•ʔ•̫͡•ʕ•̫͡•ʔ•̫͡•ʔ

It wasn't until they reached their house that everything hit him and the flood gates opened. Fat droplets of tears began rolling down his cheeks as he tried to choke back his sobs. He clung onto his father as he wailed, "Huna…Huna, I'm sorry! I don't have enough for his s-star yet! I-it's because I, I bou-bought that toy! I'm so sorry!N-Neddie! It's my fault! I'm supposed to be Huna's hero! B-but now Hu-Huna won't know which star to-to wait on because I bought a-a toy! What do I do now!? Huna! W-what if he gets lo-lost!?"

Edward rubbed Mika’s back reassuringly, trying his best to hold back his own tears. "How much do you still need for that star, Mika?"

"T-ten whole dollars!"

Taking out a handkerchief, his father wiped his face and took him by the hand towards their computer. "Here, let's go order that star, okay? I forgot to pay you for the chores you did for the past few days because I was low on change, right? It should be enough to get you that star. You can still give it to him as a Christmas present."

Mika wiped his tears away with his sleeves, stumbling over his words, "But…but even if I get him a star, h-how will Huna know where it is?"

"You told me he had a guardian sheep, didn't you? It'll definitely know where his star is!"

Sniffling, he looked at his father questioningly. "E-even if it's a merino sheep?"

Arthur nodded reassuringly. "Especially if it's a merino sheep! They travel the mountains each year and they never get lost! They're the most reliable sheep out there! Now, what should we name this star?"

"Hu-Huna's Star…"

"And do you know what Hunapo’s favourite constellation was?"

He nodded. "The little ram, Aries I think…"

"There, done." His father patted his head gently. "Mika, you two are good friends, aren't you?"

Sniffling, he nodded again. "we're best friends."

Mika’s father smiled. "Then I'm sure he'll find his way to his star without any problems. And I'm sure he'll wait for you there after he's finished exploring. So one day, when you look out into the stars, I'm sure you'll see Hunapo smiling at you."

His breath hitched as he looked up at the other. "Re-really, Neddie? You promise?"

"Yes. I promise you. And you know how I feel about promises you can't keep."

"You might as well not make them at all…"

"Exactly." Picking his son up, he made his way towards the boy's bedroom. "Mika, I know it's hard, but remember that he's not afraid or lonely because he has his mum with him now, and his sheep, right?"

By then, he didn't have the energy to shout anymore. He wiped his reddened eyes again. "B-but I never even got to thank him. Neddie, I didn't t-thank Huna for teaching me about kisses, dinosaurs an-and stars. A-and I didn't thank him for sharing his snacks. And I didn't get to tell him not to be sc-scared. I w-wanted to tell him not to forget about me. What if he makes a new best friend?"

Edward soothed back his hair. "I'm sure you'll still be Hunapo's best friend. How could he ever forget about you? You bought him a star all on your own! He's probably telling someone about how his best friend's a hero and bought him his very own star right now. Besides, remember that one day, you'll get to play with him again up there, right? You can tell him everything then, and I'm sure he'll have a lot to tell you too."

"Promise?"

His father nodded. "I promise. Come on, now let's get you ready for bed. You'll feel a little better in the morning."

ʕ•̫͡•ʕ•̫͡•ʔ•̫͡•ʔ•̫͡•ʕ•̫͡•ʔ•̫͡•ʕ•̫͡•ʕ•̫͡•ʔ•̫͡•ʔ•̫͡•ʕ•̫͡•ʔ•̫͡•ʔ

Having cried himself to the point of exhaustion, Mika let out a shaky yawn as his father tucked him in. "Neddie?"

"Yes?"

"You won't go to heaven any time soon, will you?"

Planting a kiss on his head, Edward shook his head. "No, don't you worry. I'm not going anywhere anytime soon."

That night, he dreamt of Hunapo exploring the stars with his mother and sheep at his side, and a happy smile on his lips.

 

ʕ•̫͡•ʕ•̫͡•ʔ•̫͡•ʔ•̫͡•ʕ•̫͡•ʔ•̫͡•ʕ•̫͡•ʕ•̫͡•ʔ•̫͡•ʔ•̫͡•ʕ•̫͡•ʔ•̫͡•ʔ

On Christmas, the two of them paid a visit to Tama's restaurant which was empty save for the Polynesian. He had a haggard look as he tried his best to greet them. With a weak smile, he ushered them inside, out of the cold and snow. "Sorry, I didn't prepare anything. I wasn't expecting to have visitors today."

Edward shook his head. "that's completely understandable. Please, if you ever need anything, our doors are opened. But that's not why we're here. Actually, Mika here has something to give you."

Mika could feel his tears welling up again as he presented the star certificate to the man. "Mer…Merry Christmas, Huna's father. I bought Huna a star like I promised to. I-it's so that you'll know where he is. He promised me that he'd wait there a-after he finished exploring with his mum so…" he wiped his tears away with his sleeve, "you don't have to feel lonely since H-Huna's up there. He's probably h-having fun and making lots of new friends right now! A-and Neddie said that…that he'll be able to find the star bec-because he has his sheep. He promised me so it has to be true. Huna's father...thank you for taking care of Huna, and for the snacks, and for l-letting me play with him. Neddie promised me that Huna's okay, so please don't be sad."

Tama knelt down and hugged him tightly. "Thank you, Mika. Thank you for playing with Hunapo, thank you for this gift, thank you for everything. You don't know how much this means to me. You're going to do great things with your life, and I know that Hunapo will be cheering you on from the stars every step of the way. He loved you very much, Mika. Thank you."

Hugging the man back, he cried, "T-then as Huna's best friend and hero, I promise I'll make sure I'll do something great to make him proud! That way, he'll know I'm doing just fine and, and he won't have to worry! Then when I see him for real, I-I'll get to tell him all about it!"

 

ʕ•̫͡•ʕ•̫͡•ʔ•̫͡•ʔ•̫͡•ʕ•̫͡•ʔ•̫͡•ʕ•̫͡•ʕ•̫͡•ʔ•̫͡•ʔ•̫͡•ʕ•̫͡•ʔ•̫͡•ʔ

 

Ten years later…

During his high school years, Mika made friends with Kiri Atla. The two of them had a rather rocky relationship due to their similar personalities. When they got along, they were the best of friends, but when they disagreed, the two of them could conjure up storms. But it was also through her that he met her sister, Caroline.

Walking into the classroom to fetch his project partner's sister, Mika sighed loudly and raised the papers he'd rolled up to his lips to use as a megaphone. "Is there a 'Caroline Atla' here? Your pain in the butt of a sister's waiting for you."

A girl in plaits with paw print clips in her hair stood up hastily. "S-sorry! That'd be me! I zoned out and completely forgot about the time! Oh, everyone's already left! I hope Kiri didn't give you a hard time!"

Something about the way she immediately apologized made him laugh. He shook his head. "No, don't worry about it! Kiri was just being Kiri."

Then the door opened and a girl with black, side-shaved hair stormed in with a baseball bat in her hands. "Mika Helder, stop flirting with my baby sister or I'll beat you up!"

"K-Kiri!"

His face reddened. "W-what!? You're the one who said you had baseball practice and asked me to go bring her to the field!"

"Yeah! I said go get her! I didn't say go and flirt with her! Carrie, don't get too close to this guy!"

"What are you talking about!? I just got here! Since you got up here so fast, why'd you even ask me to come!?"

"I obviously realized how wrong I was to trust Carrie to you and came rushing up here to save her!"

"Save her? What kind of person do you take me for? Ow! Don't hit me! I can't believe I even agreed to work on this project with you let alone wait for you to finish your stupid practice! I should've done this project with Jeremy! Or Keith! Even Ian would've been better!"

"Like you should be talking! I should've partnered up with Queenie or Aria instead!"

"Ow! Why can't you be more like your sister? How are you two even related!?"

The younger girl laughed. "You two sure get along well."

The two of them whirled around angrily in protest. "No, we don't! Take that back! Who on earth would be able to get along with this idiot!?"

ʕ•̫͡•ʕ•̫͡•ʔ•̫͡•ʔ•̫͡•ʕ•̫͡•ʔ•̫͡•ʕ•̫͡•ʕ•̫͡•ʔ•̫͡•ʔ•̫͡•ʕ•̫͡•ʔ•̫͡•ʔ

Sitting on the benches by the field, the two of them waited for Kiri's practice to end. Mika admitted a little begrudgingly, "She's actually really good at baseball, isn't she?"

Caroline nodded with a smile. "She wants to be a pro someday."

"That sounds exactly like something Kiri would aim for."

"What about you? You're graduating soon too, aren’t you? Do you have any plans?"

"Sort of…right now, I'm thinking of going into engineering since I really want to go into space."

She blinked. "Wow, space? That sounds really amazing! Is there a particular reason why you want to go into space though?"

Mika rubbed the back of his neck sheepishly. "You're going to think it's stupid."

The blonde shook her head. "I promise I won't!"

Chewing on his lip, he sighed, "Fine, I'll tell you. When I look up, instead of stars, I see hundreds of kisses. You know, the kind that make people's pain go away. And in particular, there's this one star I want to go to. See, when I was little, I had this friend that I bought a star for. He's the one who taught me about kissing injuries better. He promised that he'd wait on that star for me after he finished exploring so that we could play together again."

"Oh, kind of like in The Little Prince?"

"You know that book?"

The girl nodded. "I used to read it all the time when I was little. So you want to go to that star and see if he's there?"

"Yeah…" He blinked. "Wait, you don't think it's stupid?"

"Not in the least. What are you going to say to him when you see him?"

He looked up at the sky. "I don't know. I mean, if I see him, the first time will just be kind of like a visitation, right? I'd probably shout his name and give him a really long hug. But mostly, I just want to see how he's doing and I want to let him know that we're all doing just fine on earth. That'd be enough for me, at least until I die and go there for real. And what about you?"

She gave a start. "Huh? M-me?"

"Yes, you. Come on, you didn't laugh at me, so let me return the favour somehow."

Shyly, she stared at her legs. "Well, I don't have an exciting dream like you or Kiri. I mean, I don't plan on becoming a star or going to a star. I was just thinking about going into wildlife and habitat conservation…I'd like to help preserve our forests and the wildlife in them, that's all…"

Mika blinked. "What's there to get embarrassed about? That sounds legit to me. If you want to save our forests and animals, you should do it!"

Smiling at the encouragement, she nodded. "Thanks, Mika. I guess you'll find out how successful I am if, after you come back from your mission in space and all our forests are still standing, hmm?"

He grinned. "I'll look forward to coming back and taking a hike in the forests then!"

"Mika! Stop flirting with Carrie!"

"What the hell, Kiri!? Concentrate on your practice! Talking doesn't always equal flirting!"

ʕ•̫͡•ʕ•̫͡•ʔ•̫͡•ʔ•̫͡•ʕ•̫͡•ʔ•̫͡•ʕ•̫͡•ʕ•̫͡•ʔ•̫͡•ʔ•̫͡•ʕ•̫͡•ʔ•̫͡•ʔ

Another ten years later…

He stepped into a familiar restaurant with a smile. "Huna’s father!"

The owner turned around and greeted him happily, "Mika! It's great to see you, toku aroha! I saw you on the news! Actually, even if I didn't, I would've heard all about it from your father. He ran in here to spread the news the second you told him, and then he got drunk and passed out. But who can blame him? He must be so proud of you! After all these years of hard work, congratulations on becoming the youngest astronaut to be sent into space, Mika!"

Mika could feel his face flush with embarrassment at his father's behaviour. "Thank you! And I'm sorry I won't have time to properly eat here until tomorrow! I've got an interview and then I'm meeting up with Caroline."

Tama smiled understandingly. "You sound terribly busy. Here, have a quick bite before you leave or you'll get hungry during your interview. I'm surprised you even had time to visit me."

He shook his head and accepted the food gratefully. "Of course I did! You're like a second dad to me! You're the one who gave me shelter that one time Kiri chased me across town with that stupid bat of hers! I swear, she only became good enough for the All Star Team because she kept practicing on me! And look at you, feeding me delicious food the second I walk in, not even Neddie does that! Well, that's partly because he can't cook, I guess. Oh, and speaking of Neddie, he always complains about how whenever I call him, I ask him about Huna’s father before I ask about him! So I'd tell him that he picked up the phone so he's obviously doing just fine!"

The Polynesian et out a laugh. "That makes sense to me. It's been so quiet ever since you and Kiri left town, you two were the livliest kids around. But she's doing quite well, isn't she? I see her on TV all the time. Poor Caroline must be bored without the two of you. And without you around, there's no one to call me Hunapo’s father."

Glancing at the star certificate that'd been framed and placed on the wall, Mika hummed thoughtfully. "I always wondered if you minded it. Your wife must not be too fond of it."

The chef had remarried years ago to a nurse, though he never had another child after Hunapo. The man shook his head. "don't worry, my wife doesn't mind, and I certainly don't mind it. Mika, most titles are temporary. One day I'll retire and then I'll no longer be a chef. But there will never be a single day that goes by where I'm not Hunapo’s father. Just like you'll always be Hunapo's hero, yes?"

Mika dipped his head in agreement. "That's right! Maybe I'll see him in space! Oh, I guess I better get to my interview!"

"One more thing, Mika." The ravenette called out to him and handed him a napkin. "Two more, actually. First, wipe your mouth. And second, I'm positive that somewhere up there, Hunapo is very proud of you right now. We're all very proud of you. Thank you for keeping your promise."

He grinned and wiped his mouth. "Well, it's like Neddie always says, if you're going to make a promise you can't keep, you might as well not make it at all. I'll be back!"

 

ʕ•̫͡•ʕ•̫͡•ʔ•̫͡•ʔ•̫͡•ʕ•̫͡•ʔ•̫͡•ʕ•̫͡•ʕ•̫͡•ʔ•̫͡•ʔ•̫͡•ʕ•̫͡•ʔ•̫͡•ʔ

"I'm here live with Mika Helder, soon to be NASA's youngest astronaut in space. Just a couple questions, Mr. Helder, what are you feelings on your upcoming mission?"

"Excitement for sure, and I guess I'm a little nervous to finally be able to get up there, but mostly excitement."

"Is there anyone you'd like to thank in particular?"

"My father, my family, all my friends, and anyone who helped me get to where I am today."

"Are you expecting to find anything out of the ordinary up there?"

"Not particularly…I mean, most people would say everything in space is just debris and rocks, but I like to think of them as different worlds waiting to be explored. Who knows? Maybe I'll even find aliens? If I meet an alien, I think I'd like to name him Fred."

"Have you already made plans for when you return home?"

"Of course! It'll be celebrations all the way! I have a pretty good idea as to exactly who I'll be seeing first and where I'll be eating! Oh, and I'm hoping to take a nice, long walk through a forest after I get back as well!"

"Did you always want to be an astronaut?"

"Not really. Actually, at first, I'd wanted to be a palaeontologist and somehow bring dinosaurs back to life, but then decided against it after watching Jurassic Park."

"I'm afraid we only have time for one more question today. You mentioned a ‘little star’ in your other interviews. Did this have a big influence in your career choice then?"

"Yes, I'd say it definitely did. You see, I was lucky enough to make friends with a little star. And if it wasn't for him, I don't think I would've ever taken this career path after I got scared away from the idea of reviving dinosaurs. You see, he's probably up there exploring right now, or maybe he's waiting somewhere in the Orion Nebula, I'm not really sure. But there's one thing I'd like to let him know. If I'm lucky enough to come across him in space, I'd like to thank him and let him know that I'm doing just fine."

**Author's Note:**

> Please comment or leave kudos if you liked it...<3


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